In conventional video game software environments, a player character moves around a display screen, often times based on inputs by a player. Additionally, player inputs may also move the visual perspective of the player character, for example, if the game was played in a first person view of the player character. Traditionally, player inputs to move the character or the virtual camera were implemented using controllers having cross-switches and buttons.
The advent of motion based controller input now allows for a player to input commands to the player character by moving and/or tilting the controller device itself. The motion based controller input is not only used in home-based video game entertainment devices, such as the Nintendo Wii for example, but is also used in portable video game entertainment devices, such as the Nintendo 3DS, for example. Motion sensing equipment, such as accelerometers or gyroscopes, can be used to determine how to change the view of the video game's virtual camera so that the player may “move” the view of the player character or move the field-of-view of the virtual camera.
For example, in a game where the field-of-view of the virtual camera is the player character's first person view, the movement of the portable entertainment device can move the player character's first person view. So if the player moves the portable entertainment device to the right, the field-of-view of the virtual camera will shift to the right. In some situations, if the player moves the device forward, the virtual camera will “zoom” forward as if the player is walking straight forward.
Moving the perspective of a virtual camera is not limited to situations where the game play is that of the player character's first person view. For example, some games allow players to control a virtual camera while viewing the actions of the player character in a third person view. Once again, the virtual camera will move relative to the movement of the portable entertainment device, so if the device moves to the right, the virtual camera will likewise move to the right.
Regardless of whether the viewpoint is that of a first person or third person view, the virtual camera will move relative to the movement of the portable electronic device. However, in these situations, an object of interest, whether it be the player character or another object, will move from the center of the virtual camera's field-of-view when the virtual camera moves relative to the movement of the portable electronic device. In many situations, the object of interest will move entirely out of the field-of-view of the virtual camera if the device is moved or tilted too far in one direction. This can be irritating to a player because the player may have to constantly reposition the gaming device to keep the object of interest in the field-of-view.